Chapter Four: Funderful
"Do we really get to play on the princess's private court?" a Koopa Troopa asked Yoshi.
"Yeah, apparently so. The dome is destroyed, so I guess to not delay everything by a week we have to go there," Yoshi said.
"That's exciting," Shy Guy added. "No one really goes on there."
"No duh!" Paratroopa said. "It's a PRIVATE court."
That was the talk amongst the competitors, even though Peach wasn't too happy about it. Only Mario and her have ever played on that court. Luigi never even touched it. Well, he and Yoshi would be the two up first.
"Where's Waluigi?" Toadsworth asked Wario when he was taken into custody by the toads. There was still no sign of his partner.
"Pfft, I dunno," Wario said. "Your guess is as good as mine." They weren't having any luck. It seemed as though either Wario was defending Waluigi, or he really just wasn't part of Wario's plan.
"Well, when did you last see him?" Toadsworth asked.
"I ain't gonna tell you that, old man!" Wario spat.
"Was he involved in any of your plans?" the toad asked, but this time, Wario stopped talking. Now that there was no way to get any information out of him, Waluigi's whereabouts were a mystery.
"He's not talking to me," Toadsworth said.
"I don't see Waluigi, so let's stop looking for him. He's long gone by now even if he were here," Toadette said.
"She's right," Mario said. "Let us continue the tournament and forget about this for now."
"Forget!" Toadsworth exclaimed after gasping. "Master Mario! I do believe this must be solved. And as quickly as we can! That dome was lots of money to build and now it's a wreck. Wario can't pay for a darn cent of it, we all know that!"
"Calm down," Peach said. "Let's just get back to the tournament. Have some toads put Wario in the castle dungeon for now. We can't deal with him now." Toadsworth grumbled but followed her orders.
"How do you think they're fairing over at the dome?" Daisy asked, dipping her feet in the water.
"I can't say, but since Wario hasn't come looking for me yet, I'll assume they've caught him," Waluigi said.
"Ya know, for you being...you," Daisy said, looking at him. "We have some surprising commonalities."
"I agree," Waluigi replied. "I was surprised to find out you wrote in a journal. You didn't seem like the type to write."
"You didn't seem like the type to enjoy Italian food," Daisy said. "Or to have known French very well at one point."
"I am a man of many surprises, ma chérie" Waluigi said, looking up at the sky. "How long have we been here anyway?"
"I don't know," Daisy said. "Why? Do you have somewhere to be?"
"No, I just...didn't know if they canceled the tournament. People might come here, and gossip..." Waluigi began.
"Spreads like fire," Daisy finished. "I know. I've had my fair share."
"Haven't we all?" he sighed to the air. Daisy sighed too as Waluigi sat next to her. He took off his shoes and socks, letting his feet soak in the water. "I don't think anyone's comin', but if they do, we can split."
There was a silent moment between them, and Daisy hugged herself with her arms. She was thinking, deeply for once in her life.
"That sounds so...depressing," Daisy said after a few moments.
"What does?" Waluigi asked.
"The fact that...whenever someone else comes, we have to separate because we're so different, yet the same because I could never be seen with you. That's something I'm not sure that I like anymore," Daisy explained.
"You mean you actually...like me?" Waluigi asked.
"Well...yeah. I mean, how can I not? After finding all these things about you I never knew before. You haven't tricked me or done anything mean to me so far. You saved me. That sounds like something Mario or Luigi would do," Daisy told him truthfully.
"Daisy," Waluigi said, looking at her, this time sincere. "I'm going to ask you something, but please, don't judge me on this. Don't take offense either. Promise me this."
"Okay," she agreed. "I promise."
Waluigi sighed. "Have you ever-have you ever thought that Mario and Luigi were too perfect? Like they had no flaws and only did good things? Have you ever thought they were too good sometimes?"
Daisy thought about this question, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized...
"Hey, you're right," Daisy said. "I mean, not to insult them or anything, but yeah, Mario does seem like he's too goody goody sometimes. I mean, when he and Peach started hanging out all the time, he just seemed like he was the perfect friend. At least, that's all she said to me about him. 'oh Mario's great' and 'he's so cute sometimes...' ugh, I hate girly girl talk like that!"
"You and Peach talked about Mario?" Waluigi asked.
"SHE talks about Mario. I listen to her. I think Luigi has his eye on me, and with Mario and Peach having that obvious-connection-everyone-except-them-sees-it kind of thing, it may have reached Luigi's head that maybe him and I would connect in the same way," Daisy said.
At this, Waluigi couldn't believe what he was hearing. He and Daisy were talking about other people and relationships. That seemed eccentric for just talking to her for a few hours. However, Waluigi found that he enjoyed this type of connection with someone. Wario and he were never this close. They never talked like he and Daisy were doing.
"Well, do you like Luigi?" Waluigi asked, though for some reason, he had a difficult time asking that question.
"I...I don't know," Daisy answered. "I don't really feel I should be around him all the time. We've talked, but I didn't feel that there was a chemistry or anything. We're just friends. In my eyes that's what we are."
"Have you ever...had that special connection with someone?" Waluigi asked.
"No, I wish," Daisy said. "I haven't had much luck in the romance department. I guess I'm just not attractive and timid like Peach, with her perfect blond hair and being so well-mannered. I'm just not like that. I like to-"
"Get in the dirt sometimes," Waluigi suggested.
"Yeah," she said after a small pause. "Hey, you're listening to me very well."
"Well, you have interesting things to say, and just because you don't have blond hair that lays perfectly every time you brush it doesn't mean you're not attractive," Waluigi told her.
He couldn't believe what had just happened. He just complimented her! He hadn't given a compliment to anyone in years. Saying nice things wasn't part of his speech for the past few years either. It was like something inside of him was urging to grow back. Perhaps a more caring side of him he once had but lost after he'd met Wario.
Daisy just looked at him after he said that.
"Really?" she said, looking at herself. "You think I'm...pretty?" Her eyes blinked a few times. Waluigi looked over Daisy...carefully too. He preserved every moment he spent just looking at her.
"Yes," he answered.
"Even when I do this?" she asked, taking off the crown, splashing her face with water to rid herself of the make up Peach had put on her this morning, and messing up her hair so it straightened out. Waluigi looked at her again.
"You look more like yourself," Waluigi said. "I think you still look like a princess." She looked at her reflection.
"Nah, you're just saying that to make me feel good," Daisy said, lying back and thinking about how weird she just sounded saying that to Waluigi.
"I'm not lying to you. I think you still look like a princess," Waluigi said again.
"Thank you," she said a little airy. She tried straightening her hair again so it looked better, and she tried to put the crown back on, but Waluigi stopped her.
"No, don't do that," he said, reaching out a hand to stop her from putting the crown on. "You looked perfectly fine without that thing." Daisy set the crown with her journal.
"Too bad I don't have my tennis racket. I'd play a game," she said.
"Next time, I'll play you," he said.
"Next time?" Daisy asked.
"The next time we have the opportunity. How about next week?" he asked.
"Um...sure. Where would we meet?" she asked.
"What's wrong with right here? It's kind of our spot now, don't you think?" Waluigi said. Daisy agreed, then she took out her cell phone.
"Here," she told him her cell number. "Text or call me if anything changes." He gave her his number in return, and they saved each other as a contact in their phones.